Fishing for flavor: Look to the sea for dinner possibilities during Lent

Spicy fish cakes with zesty citrus sauce make for a light Lenten meal.

By Bill Daley
Chicago Tribune

Lent is a time when less can mean more, especially in the kitchen.

Going without need not be faced with a frown. Let dietary restrictions spur creativity and boost flavor, however modest the meal.

Fish, for those whose faith traditions permit it, can come to the rescue during Lent. Lucy Waverman, co-author of “The Flavour Principle” (Harper Collins, $35), soon to be published in the United States, and Susanna Hoffman, co-author of the new “Bold: A Cookbook of Big Flavors” (Workman, $19.95), have plenty of ideas about fish and how to punch up both flavor and presentation during Lent – and year-round.

Spicy fish cakes

with zesty citrus sauce

1 pound skinless haddock fillets

1/4 cup chopped green onions

2 tablespoons each, chopped: lemon grass, cilantro

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon each: fish sauce, Thai red curry paste

1 1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 egg

1 cup thinly sliced long beans or green beans

2 tablespoons oil

Zesty citrus sauce, see recipe that follows

Cut fish into cubes. Place in a food processor or mini-chopper with green onions, lemon grass, cilantro, cornstarch, fish sauce, curry paste, lime zest and juice, sugar and egg. Pulse in short bursts until mixture is a smooth paste. Stir in long beans. Cover; refrigerate, 1 hour.

Roll mixture into 8 balls, a little more than 1/4 cup per ball. Press each ball flat to form a cake.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry cakes in batches until brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Add more oil to pan as needed. Drain cakes on paper towels.